Knowledge Synthesis

This
book provides readers the idea of systemically synthesizing various kind of
knowledge, which needs to combine analytical thinking and synthetic thinking.
Systems science is expected to help in solving contemporary complex problems,
utilizing interdisciplinary knowledge effectively and combining analytical
thinking and synthetic thinking efficiently. However, traditional systems
science has been divided into two schools: one seeks a systematic procedure to
give a correct objective answer; the other develops an emergent, systemic
process so that the user can continue exploratory learning. It is not an
exaggeration to say that analytical thinking and synthetic thinking have been
developed independently, in different schools. This book integrates approaches
developed in these two schools, using ideas in knowledge science that have been
emerging recently under the influence of Eastern thinking. It emphasizes the
importance of utilizing intuition in systems approaches, whereas other books
usually try to solve problems rationally and objectively, rejecting
subjectivity. This book never denies rationality and objectivity; however,
complex problems of today do not always yield to complete analysis. The novelty
of this present volume is that it takes in the ideas of synthetic thinking in
knowledge science to develop systems science further. The chapter contributors,
who are experienced systems scientists with a profound understanding of
knowledge management, discuss knowledge synthesis from the Western and Eastern
cultural perspectives. The book introduces a theory on systemic knowledge
synthesis in an odd chapter and then presents an application of the theory in
the next chapter in order to contribute to developing translational systems
science.